A Party under the Oaks

Directly across the street from my house lived a loving and large Catholic family. I remember when they moved into the brown-stone ranch; at that time they were only a family of three. I was happy after so many years the single story house would once more become a home. I was delighted when they asked if I was Catholic and what churches were in the area. They became parishioners at my home parish, and we became good neighbors as their family grew.

It was a pleasant September day and I was out in the front yard gardening. Looking up I saw the small crowd across the road with the oldest daughter carrying a birthday cake. They were headed for the picnic tables under the big oak tree.

For the life of me, I couldn’t recall which one of the children’s birthday it was. I stared at the kids and kick-started memory cells trying to recall each child’s birth…and the accompanying pink or blue stork shoved into the lawn on delivery day. I also wondered if I had an appropriate birthday card in the drawer that I could sign and hurry over to the appropriate child—once I remembered which one it was. Before I got across the lawn, heading for the house, the mother waved me over to come join them.

I was delighted by the children’s boisterous greeting and amazed at the vivid-blue frosted cake. The gaggle of children excitedly told me it was the Blessed Mother’s birthday. Now this was a cause for celebration!

Before the cake was cut each child offered the Blessed Virgin a gift…a sincere and heartfelt prayer of gratitude. What a lovely birthday bouquet our Mother Mary received.

Read more of Margaret’s reflections on spirituality and nature at Morning Rose Prayer Gardens on Patheos.